Second Chances
by bookworm-gurl
Summary: Catherine is informed about Grissom's hearing loss and decides she is going to follow what her heart has been telling her for the past ten years...to her surprise, she was not the only one feeling this way.


**_ Second Chances_**

It was Catherine's day off and she was sleeping soundly in her nice warm and cozy bed. The Vegas lights were shinning though the curtains shinning brightly like never burning out stars in the night sky when the dreadful sound of the phone ringing awoke Catherine out of her slumber.

Catherine slowly opened her eyes and glanced at her bedside clock that read 2:00am in bright red lights she had the feeling that they were going to call her in to work, when it was her day off. She flipped on her bedside light and squinted as the brightness filled the room blinding her momentarily.

She flung the nice warm covers off her body feeling the cold fall Vegas air that was coming in through the open bedroom window. Catherine half walked half stumbled down the hallway towards the sound of the ringing phone that surprisingly did not wake up her daughter.

Catherine picked the cordless phone up out of the re-charger and pressed the talk button placing the speakerphone up to her ear as she kept walking into the kitchen to grab something to drink.

"Hello" Catherine whispered wiping some of the sleep out of her eyes. She wasn't too pleased that someone called her in the middle of the night.

"Catherine? It's me Gil, I need to talk to you"

She was surprised that Gil had called her at 2:00 in the morning although she remembered that she had the day off so he was probably at work on some high profile case that they would need her help on. Then she remembered that he said that he needed to talk with her, and that didn't sound very work related.

She was contemplating on what she should have to drink either Milk or juice. Maybe Liquor since it was Gil who was talking to her she would defiantly need the liquor to calm her down and make sense of it all since Gil never talked about anything besides bugs, and work.

"Is it that important that it can't wait until tomorrow? Catherine replied. She really wasn't in the mood to have a heart to heart conversation with her boss that she had the biggest crush on in her entire life.

"I-I guess so. I'll be at your house around noon okay, and sorry about waking you" Grissom said apologetically.

"It's alright, I'll see you tomorrow" Catherine replied and hung up, forgetting that tomorrow was today.

She left the phone on the counter and grabbed her juice box as she headed back to her nice warm bed resuming to her beautiful sleep before the phone interrupted the best dream she had, had in months. Catherine stumbled back to her room and flopped onto her bed moaning as she slowly closed her eyes and once again fell back asleep in a matter of seconds. She didn't even bother to get under the covers.

Later that morning Grissom did his daily routine, wake up at 10 eat his breakfast which was bacon and eggs, take a shower, get dressed and do a crossword puzzle or two. Around 11:30 he got into his Tahoe and started the 20- minute drive to Catherine's house. He kept thinking about what he should say to her. He didn't want to scare her or have her get mad at him he needed to tell her nicely and calmly and everything would be okay, hopefully.

He was never really good around or with people but since he was going to be having a heart to heart conversation with _the people person_ who was also his best and most trust worthy friend he shouldn't have much to worry about. he knew she would understand.

He pulled up into her driveway and parked behind her black Tahoe. He sat there in his Tahoe for a few minutes trying to make sense of everything. He kept going over in his mind what he was going to say until he thought he was going to go crazy.

Grissom walked the short distance to the front door and rang the doorbell waiting for someone to answer. A little blonde haired blue-eyed girl answered the door with a 1000 watt smile on her face seeing that it was Grissom.

"Mr. Grissom! I've missed you so much, come in I'll tell mommy that you're here," she said in an excited and cheerful voice shutting the door behind him.

"Hey Linds, I've missed you too, thank you for letting me come in. I hope I didn't wake your mom?" Grissom answered with a smile.

"No she's awake, she's eating breakfast that I made for her"

"Why you're quite the little helper aren't you?" Grissom said as he removed his coat.

"I try to be, I'll be right back with mommy"

Lindsay disappeared down the hallway to the kitchen. She came back two minutes later with Catherine behind her. She was still in her pajamas and her cherry blonde hair was back in a small ponytail. She wasn't wearing makeup but she still looked beautiful in Grissom's eyes.

"I'll leave you two alone," Lindsay said with a smile and scampered down another hallway towards her bedroom.

Catherine smiled at her daughter acting like a grown woman and sat down beside Grissom on the couch. She snuggled up closer to him afraid that he might move away if she got to close but to her surprise he did not.

"Hey Griss, sorry about not being dressed, I just woke up a half an hour ago I guess Lindsay's my new alarm clock. Anyway what did you want to talk about?" she moved her hand and placed it on his knee feeling the warmth of his body and saw that he was smiling at her welcoming the new gesture. Maybe she wasn't the only one that was love struck.

Lindsay was "playing" with her dolls but really she was listening to her mom and Grissom's conversation out in the living room. She tiptoed to the end of the hallway and sat in the shadows, she could hear them perfectly from her new hiding place.

"Catherine, I don't want to frighten you or anything but you have a right to know since you have been my best friend for 10 years and I trust that you won't tell the rest of the team" Grissom whispered while he entwined his fingers in hers.

Catherine blushed form the warm and soothing feeling that Gil had created when he had touched her. She then knew that he had feelings for her the same why she did for him and she was less nervous about showing her affection towards him.

"Gil what is it? Your scaring me, please tell me what it is?" Catherine replied and snuggled up closer to him resting her head on his shoulders, now knowing that he loved her.

"I'm...I'm loosing my hearing Cath, I'm going deaf. It's genetic my mother had it and now I do and there is no cure." Grissom confessed loving the warmth and comfort of Catherine's body near his.

Lindsay heard him say _deaf _and she wasn't sure what that meant. She did know what hearing loss was and her smile turned into a frown. She sat there on the floor blankly looking at the whitewashed wall across from her waiting to hear how her mother was going to react to that.

Catherine was thrown off guard by Grissom's news. She backed away from Grissom's shoulder and stared at him puzzled and not sure of what to say next. She was trying her best to process the big news that he had just confessed to. It hit her like a ton of brinks shattering her heart because the man she had loved for 10 years was now going deaf.

At first she wasn't sure if she was hearing him correctly, how could he be loosing his hearing? He is a very healthy man there was nothing wrong with him, well maybe something but nothing as big as this.

"How could this happen? You-your so healthy. Did it just happen out of the blue? I mean how can someone loose there hearing with no warning?" Catherine asked having a million other questions flying through her mind all at once giving her a headache.

"I went and saw the doctor a week ago and she told me in about 6 months my hearing will be permanently gone. I know this is a huge shock to you but believe me it was even bigger for me" Grissom replied, he looked as if he was about to cry feeling the pain that his best friend was going through. He couldn't stand to see the tears forming in Catherine's eyes seeing that he didn't break the news to her gently enough.

"When will the rest of the team find out? Will you loose your job, since hearing is a key thing in your line of work? What about Lindsay? How am I going to explain this to her she adores you so much and she'll be heartbroken when she finds out? How will we be able to communicate with each other? I don't know how to sign or anything." Catherine rambled on and Grissom smiled placing a finger to her lips to stop her rambling.

"The rest of the team will find out when I want to tell them. If I loose my job then I will have to take up a hobby or something. I know that Lindsay adores me and I'm flattered to hear that but we will have to explain to her and hopefully she will understand. I will teach both of you how to sign and I can also read lips. This will be difficult but if we work together then we can do it" Grissom replied and removed his finger from her lips and kissed her.

He wasn't quite sure why he did that or not. Maybe it was because he couldn't stand looking at her beautiful and luscious lips any longer. He had wanted to kiss her touch her be with her as more then a friend for the longest time but other obstacles where always in the way ones that he wasn't able to break down or get around for years, until now.

Grissom giving her a kiss out of the blue surprised Catherine. She had never expected it from him but she never wanted it to end his lips felt so good on hers and she had wanted this to happen for 10 years, but Eddie and other things had always been in her way. She then knew that everything would be all right and that he really did love her the same way that she loved him.

Catherine broke her lips away from his and looked up into his piercing blue eyes seeing the tears and the broad smile plastered on his face. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man no matter if he goes deaf or not. She wanted to be beside him every step of the way but more then as a friend she wanted to be his wife. Catherine couldn't believe that she was even thinking of that possibility. Her and Grissom actually getting married? She really was love struck if she could conjure up that insane idea in her head.

"Let's get married" Catherine blurted out not thinking about what she was saying anymore

Lindsay had heard what her mother had said; she lifted her head up out of her arms and became attentive once again. She always wanted this to happen for along time, she even has Barbie and Ken dressed up in wedding clothes and pretended them to be her mom and Grissom.

Although she had just lost her biological father she would love to have Grissom as a daddy she always thought of him as the perfect father. Her mother would be happier as well, she would stop crying every night and she would have a loving husband again.

"What? Catherine am I hearing you correctly did you just say for us to get married?" Grissom asked still in shock. He loved the idea but never thought that it would actually happen.

"Yes, I mean you would make a wonderful father and an even better husband, I've always fantasized about us getting married some day I mean I've always loved you since I met you 10 years ago at the night club"

"Catherine are you sure your feeling alright? I think you should lie down and take a rest before you say anything else. This-this is just not like you"

"I don't need no nap, I'm not crazy I'm just love sick. You know me being spontaneous and we can get married tonight in one of the wedding chapels in one of the million casinos in this town. It could be a small private wedding just you and me what do you say?" Catherine said with a smile and puppy dog eyes that he couldn't stand to look at anymore.

What was he thinking? He couldn't turn down the most perfect opportunity to actually get married to the woman he had been love sick over for the past 10 years. He finally had the perfect chance to make her more then his best friend, but his wife and he was sure he wasn't going to let this chance pass by, there might never be another one.

"Alright...lets get married!" Grissom exclaimed and for the first time passionately kissed Catherine.

Lindsay was jumping up and down in the hallway with excitement and started to giggle. She quickly covered her mouth so her mother and Grissom wouldn't be able to know that she was eavesdropping on their conversation the whole time.

"Yes! I love you so much Gil! Let me go and tell Lindsay the wonderful news! The gang will be so surprised next shift when they find out we got married!" Catherine screamed. She gave Gil one last kiss before she got up off the sofa and headed down the hallway towards Lindsay's room.

Lindsay saw her mom approaching so she ran to her room as fast as she could and picked up a doll making it look like she was playing with them the whole time. Catherine ran into her daughter's room with a big smile on her face and couldn't wait to see her daughter's reaction. Lindsay looked up from the doll in her hands and smiled back at her mother seeing she was back to her happy self.

"Baby I have some great news to tell you" Catherine said as she sat down beside her daughter on her Hello Kitty bedspread that was covered with bears and dolls. Lindsay looked into her mother's eyes and saw a twinkle of happiness in them.

"What is it mommy? Why are you so happy?" Lindsay asked eagerly.

"Well Linds, me and Mr. Grissom are going to get married!" Catherine screamed she was all-cheerful. Grissom could hear here all the way back in the living room and couldn't help but laugh.

Lindsay looked wide-eyed at her mother and then she dropped her doll on the floor. She started jumping on her bed happy that her wish had finally come true.

"Mommy! I knew this was going to happen someday! When are you getting married?" Lindsay asked while she jumped up and down.

"Tonight! Which will mean that your going to be having a babysitter, do you mind honey?" Catherine asked and Lindsay stopped jumping frowning at her mother.

"A babysitter! But mom why can't I go to the wedding, I can be a flower girl! Please mom please" Lindsay begged and used her puppy dogface, which was something Catherine couldn't say no to.

"Alright you can come but remember you must be on your best behavior. You can be the flower girl if you like, you can wear your white dress nana bought for you for your birthday last year." Her daughter's puppy dogface always suckered Catherine into almost anything.

Lindsay began jumping up and down on her bed again laughing and signing a song about her mother and Grissom. Catherine decided to leave her in peace slowly closing the door behind her and stood out side her door thinking about how her and Linds lives was going to change for the better this time.

Catherine and Lindsay were in their Tahoe heading towards the chapel that was on the outskirts of Las Vegas sequestered in the Stardust hotel and casino. It was the same place that her and Eddie got married eight years ago. Of course they were high at the time and had no idea were they were or what they were doing but ended up getting married in the end, which was the biggest mistake Catherine had ever made in her life.

Lindsay was so excited it was her first wedding. She sat in the passengers seat in her white dress with white sandals. Her hair was pinned up into a bun with little jewels and pretty pins to hold it up in place. She had pieces of hair dangling in front of her face that were curled into ringlets.

She had make up on her eyes and face and she held a basket full of flower pedals on her lap. She looked over at her mother and smiled. Catherine took her eyes off the road for 2 seconds and smiled back at her daughter still not believing that she was actually doing this.

Grissom left his townhouse and headed towards the chapel as well. He was dressed in a black tux and black dress shoes. He looked to be heading towards a funeral and not his own wedding.

He couldn't wait to see Catherine in a beautiful dress and Lindsay being the flower girl. It was a dream come true for both of them. Lindsay had told him about Catherine crying herself to sleep every night and that made him feel heart broken. He was hoping that having love and affection from another man would help cure that.

He wanted so badly to call the rest of their friends and tell them to come to his wedding but he couldn't, they promised to keep it a secret. Then he would have to tell them about his hearing loss and he doesn't want to do that just yet. Scaring one person for right now is enough, it would be worse if he scared 3 more people in one night.

Catherine and Lindsay made it to the chapel first which was good since Catherine still needed to change into her white dress. She grabbed the dress from out of the back seat and ran into the chapel before Grissom would see her.

She went into the woman's bathroom and locked the door behind her while Lindsay stayed out in the hall to watch for Grissom. Catherine took out her wedding dress and looked at it. It was the same one as she wore at her and Eddie's wedding, she really didn't own a wedding dress per say but her and Eddies marriage wasn't remotely planned and neither was this one.

It was long and bright white, it actually looked like it was brand new. The dress had a slit at the back the dress reached the floor only showing the tips of her toes in her silver high heeled shoes. She slipped it on and surprisingly it actually fit her still. She then placed the veil that she had bought at the last minuet to put over top of her bun that was done the same as Lindsay's.

Grissom then pulled up into the chapel's parking lot and noticed Catherine's Tahoe was already in the almost deserted parking lot so he decided to park beside it. He sat in the car and thought this extraordinary moment through.

"Alright Grissom this is your big day. Your getting married to Catherine and you always wanted to do this since the first day you met her. The most nervous part is not the wedding it's telling the rest of our friends that we got married and I'm loosing my hearing. What will Lindsay think about her father that won't be able to hear her in a few months. Will she hate me? Will she even understand?" Grissom said to him self. He glanced at his watch and he noticed that he was almost late. He didn't want to be late for his own wedding.

Lindsay was standing in the front foyer watching for Grissom. She spotted him getting out of his truck. She ran down the hallway to the woman's washroom and knocked on the door knowing that her mother was still in there.

"Occupied!" Catherine screamed as she was putting on her makeup

"Mommy Mr. Grissom's here!" Lindsay called back

"Shit" Catherine mumbled to her self " I'll be out in a second baby" Cath replied as she put everything in her make up bag. Catherine then unlocked and opened the door.

Catherine came out of the washroom dressed in a white with a veil covering her face. She had a bouquet of flowers that she held in her well-manicured hands. Lindsay looked up and down at her mother in the elegant dress she looked like a magazine bride.

"Where did Grissom go Linds?" Catherine asked seeing her daughter smiling up at her

"He went into the church the minister told him to wait at the front. We can go now mommy they're waiting for us" Lindsay said and tugged on her mother's hand to get her moving in the right direction.

Catherine then stopped and realized that maybe she was just being stupid and would regret getting married to him. Maybe the whole marriage thing wasn't such a great idea. She had one messed up marriage and maybe she might just cause another. If she does then she won't have a husband or a best friend anymore.

Lindsay turned around at hearing a weeping sound coming from behind her. She knew that it was her mother and ran to her side to see if these were tears of joy or despair.

"Mommy? What's wrong?" Lindsay asked seeing her mother sitting on the bench near the washroom.

"I-I don't think I can go through with this Lindsay" Catherine whispered whipping away her tears making sure not to smear her makeup.

"Why mommy?" Lindsay asked confused.

"Because hunny, what if it's a huge mistake and it doesn't end up working out" Catherine confessed.

Lindsay was surprised by her mother's thoughts. She had heard her mother and Grissom talking about at their house and it sounded like she was madly in love with him and he was madly in love with her. How could she think of such a horrible thing?

She snuggled up closer to her mother and looked up into her beautiful blue eyes with a smile on her face. "You love him don't you mommy?" Lindsay questioned. Catherine turned towards her daughter hearing what she had just said.

"Of course I do Linds" Catherine replied and smiled.

"And he loves you right?" Lindsay asked seeing the puzzled look on her mothers face.

"Yes-yes I think he does. What's your point Linds?" Cath asked confused.

"Well if you love him, and he loves you then it can't be a huge mistake, it was made to be. Now quit stalling, let's go get married"

"Your-your right Linds. Thank-you so much" Catherine said giving her daughter a kiss before they headed out towards the chapel.

"Your welcome mommy" Lindsay said and gave her mother a well deserving hug.

"It's now or never lets go baby" Catherine answered and walked out into the chapel wth Lindsay not to far behind.

The minister and Grissom were waiting for the ladies to come out. Grissom began to wonder if she was having second thoughts about them getting married. He then saw Lindsay and they then knew that Catherine was finally ready. The organ music played and the minister motioned for Lindsay to begin walking.

She smiled and threw flower pedals out of the basket she was carrying along the isle. Lindsay finally made it to the end of the isle and took a seat in one of the pews as the organ began to play a new song.

Catherine came through the open double doors smiling at Gil as she began to walk to the isle. Grissom stared in awe at the beautiful woman heading his way. She made it to the end and stood beside Grissom and smiled. He smiled back he couldn't believe that he was getting married to the love of his life for the past 10 years. He lifted up her veil to reveal her beautiful face.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join Catherine Mary Willows and Gil Rupert Grissom in holy matrimony" the minister announced even though Lindsay was the only one in the whole chapel.

They both exchanged their vows for one another and didn't have rings so they promised they would buy each other one. Catherine glanced over at her daughter who was smiling at her and she couldn't help but break down into tears once again.

"By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife you may kiss the bride" the minister announced and smiled.

Grissom pulled Catherine into him and kissed her passionately never wanting it to end. It was the first time Lindsay had ever seen her mother kiss another man besides her father. She was happier that her mother would be happier now then she was after her daddy died.

She promised her new daddy that she would never tell her mother about telling him about her crying since it was one of the major reasons that they had gotten married in the first place.

As they were heading towards there Tahoe's Grissom scooped Catherine up into his arms and carried her through the parking lot giving her another kiss totally oblivious to Lindsay being right behind them.

"What took you so long? I thought maybe you were having second thoughts about us getting married" Gil asked.

"You know me Gil, I'm always slow at getting ready. Plus I would never second guess us getting married, were the perfect couple" Catherine replied and winked back at her daughter who was following close behind.

Lindsay couldn't help but laugh when her mother had given her new daddy a kiss. She was going to have a normal family once again, now all that she needed was a baby brother or sister.

Catherine leaned in of Gil's ear and whispered, "Thank you so much Gil"

"No thank you Cath" he replied and kissed her once more.

Catherine was thinking to herself: This is her second chance at a happy marriage. The hardest part will be trying to explain it to the rest of the gang that her and Grissom had actually gotten married and why they weren't invited.

**_ TheEnd_**


End file.
